Family says body donated for science wrongfully cremated

Body donated for research cremated without permission, lawsuit claims.

A nonprofit that manages the donation of human bodies for science research in Illinois cremated the body of a woman despite her family's request to return the body for internment following the study period, according to a lawsuit filed this week in Cook County court.

Marsha Greengus' adult children donated her body to the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois upon her death in 2011 at her request, according to the lawsuit, with the understanding that her body would be returned for internment after the study period for religious reasons.

Despite repeated assurances that the body would be returned, including requiring the Greengus children to prepay for transport and burial of the body, the association allowed the body to be cremated after the study period in 2013, according to the lawsuit.

The three children of Greengus who are bringing the lawsuit received no communication from the association or other parties allegedly involved in the cremation until February, when one of Greengus' sons called the AGA, who advised him that "a mistake had been made," the lawsuit says.

"But for David's telephone call to the AGA, the Greengus children would still not know that Mrs. Greengus's body was cremated," the lawsuit says.

The suit also alleges other parties involved in the cremation failed to obtain the necessary permit, which includes the consent of Greengus' family, before cremating the body.

The lawsuit alleges willful and wanton interference with the children's right to possession of their mother's body, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violation of the state's Crematory Regulation Act and breach of contract and seeks compensation for damages.

A spokesman for the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois declined comment Wednesday.